Cavaliers survive Game 7 thanks to depth as stars falter

Cleveland escaped Toronto 114-102 in Game 7 largely on role players, as Donovan Mitchell and James Harden struggled to score when it mattered most. Jarrett Allen dominated with 22 points and 19 rebounds, while the bench—Strus, Merrill and Tyson—provided key contributions to spark a third-quarter push. The win underscores a troubling pattern for Cleveland: if its stars don’t show up in the next round against Detroit, the Cavaliers could be headed for trouble, since Allen and the supporting cast can carry games only so far.